Method of attaching a post to a top-lift



Nov. 17, 1936. R. w. CHANDLER I METHOD OF ATTACHING A POST TO A TOP LIFTFiled July 23, 1934 Patented Nov. 17, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEMETHOD OF ATTACHING A POST TO A TOP-LIFT Application July 23, 1934,Serial No. 736,498

4 Claims, (01. 12-147) The present invention relates to detachable toplifts having an attached post for reception in a cooperating socket, andto a method of producing the same in a manner to provide a uniformrelationship between the post and receiving socket.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a post of simple andeconomical construction which is uniform in its characteristics, andwhich may be readily inserted and caused to frictionally engage ,withina receiving socket to retain the top lift against dislodgment andturning movement with respect to the heel.

With this and similar objects in view, I propose to form a post ofgenerally triangular crosssection having a base portion from theopposite edges of which extend toward one another two inclined andresilient wall portions spaced apart at their adjacent outer edges topermit yielding of the walls toward and from one another with aconsequent spring action. The post is conveniently blanked from a singlesheet by folding along longitudinally parallel lines, and is beveled orcut away at the entering ends of the resilient wings to facilitatecompression of the wing upon entering the socket. In addition to theprovision of this type of post which has been found to satisfactorilyserve its purpose, I provide a method by which the post may be sized toa uniform cross-section with respect to the socket in which it isreceived.

Ordinarily in this type of construction the post is permanentlyassembled with the top lift by the assembly of the two members in acavity mold,

and thereafter uniting and clinching the prongs of the post within thetop lift through pressure. If the post fits the cavity of the mold soclosely as to be reduced to a predetermined size thereby, it isextremely difilcult and laborious to assemble it. If it does not fit thecavity of the mold precisely, variations in the shape and contour of thepost interfere with its proper fit in the receiving socket.

According to the present method I propose to provide a post-receivingmold cavity which fits the post loosely and permits the latter to bedropped therein by gravity. Subsequent to the assembly of the post inthe cavity the resilient wings of the post are engaged adjacent theattaching end by sizing and locating members which move the wings to apredetermined position to create an invariable relationship and fix thecross-section of the post. In this invariable relationship of the wingsthe post is permanently assembled with the top lift and clinchedthereto,

and upon removal from the mold cavity the top lift is permanentlyassembled in predetermined relation with the post, and the latter has adefinite and unvarying cross-section which permits of its uniformreception within the receiving 5 socket.

Referring particularly to the illustrated embodiment of the invention,Fig. 1 illustrates the blank from which the post is formed; Figs. 2 and3 are views in elevation of the finished post; 10 Fig. 4 is anillustration of a top lift with attached post received within a heel;Fig. 5 is a crosssection of the post on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2; andFigs. 6 and 7 are views showing longitudinal sections, in elevation andplan, respectively, of the 15 molding cavity within which the post islocated, and the means for sizing the post prior to its assembly to thetop lift.

The post shown in the illustrated embodiment of the invention isproduced from a blank 10, 20 having points l2 at one end and. beveledportions M at the opposite end. When the blank is folded along the dotand dash lines l6 into the triangular form shown in Figs. 2 and 3, thelower end is offset to produce attaching prongs l8, as 25 will beevident. The beveled portions M are formed upon the resilient wingswhich are indicated at 20. The rear portion 22 forms the base of thetriangle and the portions 20 the resilient inclined sides. It will benoted that these sides 30 at their outer-adjacent edges do not touch,and have capacity for some yielding movement.

This type of post is inserted within a similarly shaped socket 24,mounted in a heel such as indicated at 26, and when so insertedmaintains the 35 top lift in registry with the heel at the tread end,and prevents dislodgment of the top lift due to its frictionalengagement with the socket. The beveled outer ends of the resilientwings aid materially in the insertion of the yielding post 40 within thecomplementary socket.

It is obviously desirable in a construction of this kind where the postdepends for its change in cross-section upon a fit with the socket, todefinitely and uniformly size all posts during the 45 process ofmanufacture. This is conveniently accomplished in the assembly of thepost and top lift as indicated in Figs. 6 and 7. In this operation thepost is received within a cavity 30 extending from the mold cavity 32which receives 50 the top lift. The cavity 30 is of sufi'icient size toloosely receive the post, which may be dropped thereinto by gravity.Thereafter and before assembly with the top lift the resilient walls ofthe post are engaged by the opposite faces of 55 a sizing and locatingplunger 34, which is moved inwardly to a fixed position to bring thewalls to a predetermined position and relationship and to hold the wall22 in contact with the wall of the receiving cavity and accuratelylocate the post with relation to the top lift. As noted, the plunger hasa V-shaped notch in the end to contact the resilient sides of the post.This sizing plunger may be mounted upon the end of a slide 36 operatedfrom a cam 38. The plunger may be returned by a spring 40 surroundingthe slide rod 36, as indicated. In practice, after insertion of thepost, the operation of the cam is initiated to bring the sizing plungerinto operative relationship with the post. Thereafter the top lift 42located in the mold cavity is pressed downwardly by a plunger 44, tosize the top lift and permanently assemble it with the post, the prongsI8 extending through the top lift and clinching therein.

After completion of this operation, each post is reduced to aninvariable size and cross-section, and properly located with respect tothe top lift. This operation does not interfere with the resilientcharacteristics of the inclined wings which upon entrance of the postinto the socket exercise their function of frictionally engaging withthe walls of the socket and maintaining the post therein.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of making a detachable top lift construction whichcomprises the formation of a post of resilient cross-section, assemblingthe post in a loose receiving cavity, While so assembled sizing the postto a predetermined crosssection, and permanently assembling the sizedpost with a top lift.

2. The method of making a detachable top lift construction whichcomprises the formation of a post of resilient cross-section, assemblingthe post in a loose receiving cavity, engaging the post while so held bya locating member, and permanently assembling the post with the top liftwhile the post is engaged by the locating member.

3. The method of making a detachable top lift construction whichcomprises the formation of a post of generally triangular and resilientcrosssection, assembling the post in a loose receiving cavity, while soassembled engaging the post to locate it in a predetermined position inthe cavity, and while so engaged permanently assembling the post withthe top lift.

4. The method of making a detachable top lift construction whichcomprises the formation of a post of resilient and generally triangularcrosssection, assembling the post in a receiving cavity, while soassembled engaging the post at two sides of the triangle to locate thepost within the cavity, and while so located permanently assembling thepost with the top lift.

ROBERT W. CHANDLER.

